Steam-sled



(No Model.) v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. F. CONNIFF.

STEAM SL51).V

No. 400,058. Patented Mar. 26, 1880.

N. PETERS. Phum-Lilhngmpher Wnshillgion, D. C.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. F. GONNIFF. STEAM SLBD.

No. 40G-,058. Patented Mar. 26, 1889.

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W/TNESSES.' l Y NVE/VT?! @if Ma 57% ZM By Arron/mat' NiTED y STATESPATENT OFFICE.

JAMES F. CONNIFF, OF OCONTO, TISCONSIN STEAM-SLED.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 400,058, dated March26, 1889.

Application filed July 24, 1888. Serial No. 280,894. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES F. OONNIFF, of Oconto, in the county of Ocontoand State of lVisconsin, have invented a new and Improved Steam-Sled, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

'lhc obj-ect of the invention is to provide a new and improved sled tobe propelled by steam-power and adapted to pull a train of sleds.

The invention consists of certain parts and details and combinations ofthe same, as will be fully described hereinafter, and then pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters ofl reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a plan view of the power-sled. Fig. 2 is a side elevation ofthe same. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the train of sleds, and Fig. 4. is aside elevation of the same.

The improvement consists, principally, of the power-sled A and the trainof sleds composed of the sleds B B &c., in which the front sled, B, isconnected by suitable means to the rear end of the power-sled A. Thelatter is provided with a main frame, C, mounted on the sets of runnersD and D', of which the runners D are pivotally connected at D2 to theunder side of the frame C, and are provided with the upwardly-extendingcurved ends D2, passing into the vertical slots C', formed in the frameC. Thus the runners D have a vertical swinging motion, being guided bytheir curved ends D2 in the slots of the main frame C.

On top of the main frame C is mounted a boiler, E, of any approvedconstruction and supplying steam to the engine F, connected in the usualmanner with the main driving'- shaft G, mounted to rotate in suitablebearings on the main frame C. Each of the shafts G carries asprocket-wheel, G, over which passes a sprocket-chain, G2, also passingover a sprocket-wheel, G2, secured on a shaft, H, mounted transverselyat the rear end of the main frame C. Each shaft H is provided with asprocket-wheel, H', over which passes a sprocket-chain, H2, also passingover a sprocket-whecl, H2, secured on a shaft, I, carrying apropeller-wheel, J. Each shaft I is mounted to rotate in suitablebearings formed on a frame, K, fulcrumed on the shaft H, so that theframe K is free to swing up and down, thereby holding thepropeller-wheelJ in contact with the ice or snow. The periphery of eachwheel J is formed by projections J, each of which has atransversely-exteiiding sharp edge, J2, adapted to cnt into the snow orice, so as to firmly embed the wheel in the snow or ice, in order topropel the sled forward. As shown in Fig. l, two wheels J are employed;but any desired number may be used and di iven from the engine by anysuitable means. The sleds B B &c., forming the train of sleds, connectedwith the power-sled A, are cach provided with a reach, L, connected withthe next following reach bya coupling, L, of any approved construction.On each reach L are secured the transversely-extending beams II,

:for supporting the bed (not shown) of the sled,

and a king-bolt, O, passes through the said beams N and the reaches Linto the bolster I), connected with a set of runners, Q. I prefer twosets of runners for each reach, as shown in Fig. 3,'and I connect thefront runners by chains Q with a cross-shaft, Q2, mounted on the frontend of the rear set of runners. A similar cross-shaft, Q2, is mounted onthe front set of runners and carriesa forwardly-extending arm, Q3,having an npwardly-extending pin, Q4, passing through a slot, L2, in therear end of the reach L, and serving to hold the set of front runners inplace. The chains Q', connecting the front runners with the rearrunners, permit the said runners to turn, as

is plainly shown in the forward part of Fig. 3.'

The operation is as follows: The steam supplied from the boiler to theengine F cames a rotary motion of the main driving-shafts G, which, bythe connections of the sprocketwheels G and G3 and the sprocket-chainG2, impart a rotary motion to the shafts H. The latter, by theirconnections with the sprockctwheels H and HS and the sprocket-chain H2,impart a rotary motion to the shafts I, so that the propeller-wheels Jare rotated in the direction of the arrow o', and the steam-sled A ismoved forward as the transverse edge of the sharp edges J2, formed inthe peripheries of the wheels J, pass into the ice or snow alter- ICOnnitely, so as to propel the Sled. The iraiin of sleds l.; 3 :neconnected with the rear end of The power-sled A, and are propelledforward hy the latter in the nninner above described.

VIlm'in ijhus full y described my invention, l Claim as new and desireto secure by lietters limitent* l. In :L slechthe combination, with aSlotted f1-nine, oL rnnnel-S pivoted 11o the under sido ol? the lrmn eand hzu'i n thei r upward ly-enrved ends projecting into the slots ofl'he 'Fra-nie, snhsizrntially as described.

L. l'n n` stezm1-sled,tl1e eonlbiimbion, with the Shaft Il und ineensfor (')perzxting the sinne, of the l'rmne K, pivoled on ihe Shaft, chepropeller-wheel I, jmn'nzliled in the Said iiir'mne, and men-ns'foropel-Ming the propeller-Wheel from the Suid shaft, substantially asherein shown and described.

JAMES F. CONNIFI".

\\'itneSses:

J'ERoME W. SANDERS, THEO. T. lIUDsoN.

